Troubling
by AngelicKat445
Summary: A slap. An echo of a harsh palm hitting a soft cheek swiftly moved through Reed's ears. He felt his fist clench up tightly, painfully. A low whimper escaped Shane's lips. First Rane fic, based off of CP Coulter's Dalton


**My first Rane fic! :D Soooo** **excited! I love Rane as a pairing, they're just so fucking cute!**

**Thank you to Kenzie, my loveliful wife who told me about Dalton and attempted to make me read it (which I never did, so...excuse any mistakes on character/looks/places/etc). I really like this story, as I wrote it by hand on the busride back from Toronto, then typed it up on my laptop the next day :)**

**Enjoy! And excuse my lack of perfection on specifics!**

**PS: We were driving for 17hours almost straight that day, so my sleep-deprived mind created this :) Enjoy again!**

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><p>Something was wrong with Shane.<p>

Reed decided this with finality in his room one afternoon. He'd just left the Windsor common room, homework in his arms and practically toppling onto the floor when he nearly fell a dozen times. As he'd passed Shane, his usually lively green-blue eyes were downcast, depressed. No animated smile was dancing on his lips. There was nothing; he was empty. A carcass of what used to be. A hollow shell.

And an unhappy Shane Anderson made for a worried Windsor House. Especially a certain old brother. The first time seven days had passed without Shane so much as making at least one silly comment, Blaine confronted him.

"Are you alright?" he'd asked the taller of brunettes. "You seem…unhappy, to say the least."

"I'm fine," Shane had insisted, one hand running through his dark messy curls. Blaine's eyes remained troubled and his eyebrows knitted themselves together.

"You sure? I'm just concerned for your wellbeing-"

"I have to meet Colton. I'll see you later."

Colton.

Shane's _boyfriend_.

Reed had actually dropped his lunch onto Ethan's toe at the news. At the time, Shane had sounded so thrilled with Colton. He'd raved on and on about how great he looked, sounded, laughed, _was_. Reed had fled the dining hall wen kissing became the topic of interest. He didn't really want to hear of his crush's love life.

The weird thing: none of Shane's friends had ever met Colton in person. And as he continued to date him, Shane became farther and farther from them all.

And that in itself was beyond terrifying.

The Windsor boys had held a meeting to discuss Shane's strange behaviour. Somehow, it always came back to Colton. From day one with him, Shane was different. It became more serious over gradual time. Soon enough, it was intervention-worthy. If they could only find him long enough to hold it.

He didn't answer his phone. He didn't respond via the internet. When home at the same time as Blaine, he would lock himself in his bedroom and not leave at any point. No one could find him. And no one knew why he wouldn't talk to them.

Until Reed found out.

He was on the roof of Dalton Academy, painting the city and midmorning sun before he could be rushed off by one of his friends. The peace and tranquility of the scene before him was indescribably perfect.

It was shattered, though, when the door to the roof swung open. Voices drifted across the flat, gravelly platform. The wind carried it faster than without it.

"…the hell is wrong with you?" This deep voice was menacing. Reed kept hidden behind the huge silver vent that stood at almost six feet tall.

"I don't know," the second voice replied.

Reed froze. He recognized that one. It was so familiar, so lovely, a voice he had almost studied at times. Yet it was so much quieter compared to its normalcy.

It was Shane's.

"I do! It's those asswipe friends! Why do you think I took you away from them?" The last bit was spoken softer than before. A tone of love was adopted to make Shane feel better.

"I love you, Shane." The sound of a quick kiss sounded. "But go near those fuckers again, and I'll kill you."

A slap. An echo of a harsh palm hitting a soft cheek swiftly moved through Reed's ears. He felt his fist clench up tightly, painfully. A low whimper escaped Shane's lips, and the lower voice grabbed his jaw.

"Oh, does that hurt the widdle baby? You gonna cwy?" Knuckles to bone. "I'll give you something to cry about, you little shit."

More punches were thrown. To Shane, Reed imagined. And that pissed him off big time. His chest tightened; a lump formed in his throat. He worked up any and all courage in his small, plucky body.

"Hey!"

The strength in his voice even frightened him for a split second, until he realized who it belonged to. Shane, beaten and bruised, was in his sight. A guy only an inch or two shorter than Shane – meaning he still towered over Reed – was clutching the front of Shane's V-neck.

Reed could only assume this was the infamous Colton.

He was fairly attractive, in a rugged, bad boy way. His dark hair was buzz cut down close to the scalp. His empty, pitiless gray eyes roamed over Reed with loathing. On his muscled body were a pair of dusty, ripped up cargos, steel-toed boots, and a stained white wife beater. He flexed his chiselled arms menacingly.

"And who the fuck are you?" he cried loudly. Reed flinched visibly at the language in such a loud voice.

"Leave him alone."

Both guys turned to their sides. Shane looked worn and beat down, his eye blackening, his lip swelling. A place above his eyebrow, as well as his nose, were bleeding. But he was still being brave.

A trait Reed loved in him.

Except for then.

"Leave him alone, Cole," Shane repeated. "Reed has nothing to do –"

"Reed, huh?" Colton cut over him. "Well, _Reed_, let me ask you a question: why exactly are you here?"

Reed's face became suddenly very warm and pink. Colton let out a bark of cold, cruel laughter. There was no mirth about it.

"Oh, I see how it is. You wanted to be Shaney here's knight in shining armour." He took a step closer, making the height difference more significant. A smirk was on his mouth. "More like some loser wrapped in tin foil."

He pushed Reed on his shoulder and Reed took a deep breath. Colton shook his head and turned back to Shane.

"See that, Shaney? A real man would've fought back! This little dick licker is as much a man as you."

And Shane received a blow to the gut.

And Reed lost it.

He grabbed Colton by his shoulders, turned him around, and clenched his fist. Next second, and Colton was clutching his eye in pain. It seemed like he was more used to giving beatings than receiving them.

During this moment of weakness, Reed punched his stomach repeatedly until he fell over. His moans and groans were a sign that he was beat. But Reed was on a fighting high. He continuously hit, kicked, and slapped Colton until he felt long fingers wrap around his wrist.

He spun around and found Shane, smiling down at him. His first smile in weeks. It was like the earth flooded with warmth and sunlight.

"It's okay," Shane murmured. He glanced sadly at Colton and added darkly, "We're done. Get out."

No questions asked, Colton limped as fast as possible away. Neither of the remaining boys spoke until the moderate sounds quit and silence enclosed them like a comfortable blanket.

Shane looked at Reed intensely. Reed was rubbing his sore knuckles.

"Um –" Whatever Shane was going to say was never known, as he was suddenly in Reed's small arms. He wholeheartedly responded in the same manner.

_This feels right_, he though blissfully. _I never felt this with Cole._

Reed pulled away first after an eternity and smiled weakly up at the much taller of the two. Shane pushed back a strawberry blonde curl from Reed's forehead.

"Thanks," he grinned. That grin that made Reed go weak in the knees. Especially then. He cleared his throat, though.

"Um…I don't mean to pry, but why did you date such an asshole?" Shane sighed and slid down the tall stand-up vent. Reed followed shortly.

"I don't know, to be honest. I haven't dated much since coming to terms with being gay… But Cole…" Another heavy breath out. "He made me feel wanted. Like I wasn't different." Reed opened his mouth to say something, but Shane cut over with, "Yes, I know I have you guys as friends. But I'm not part of Windsor, officially. I'm not a member of the Warblers. I'm not anything. Until Cole came along, a coffee in one hand, the Arts section of the newspaper in the other. And he was perfect."

Reed's throat closed up at that, and Shane smiled knowingly. "Or so I thought. And, y'know, it's funny."

"What?" Reed said squeakily, trying to find his voice.

"I wanted to get over my feelings for you that you so obviously didn't reciprocate." Another laugh as Reed stopped breathing. "Cole was kind of like a distraction from you and your absolute wonderfulness."

Reed stared into Shane's eyes for a while before working up the nerve to reach over and take Shane's hand. It was funny; he took hold of instinct and had no trouble beating the shit out of Colton. Yet his courage wavered when trying to touch his harmless crush.

Life was odd.

Shane squeezed Reed's fingers. "And I'm still not over you."

"I can't believe you are thick enough o believe that I don't love you!" Reed burst out. Shane stared at him wide-eyed. "Jesus, Shane! You can be so stupid! Of course I love you! What idiot wouldn't? Colton was a prick to take advantage of you, and anyone who does so again will not see the next day, as long as I'm alive. God, you are just so –"

His rant was cut short by a pair of lips on his own. For a moment, Reed was shocked, believing he'd fallen into one of his vivid daydreams. But he could never imagine the tongue poking at his lips, begging entry. He willingly let Shane in.

The pair only broke apart when they felt lightheaded. Gasping, they dropped down next to one another, feeling very pleased. Shane smiled widely.

"God, I love you, Reed Van Kamp." Reed's cheeks went very pink, but he didn't look unhappy.

"And I love you, Reed Anderson."

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><p><strong>Yes, a little cliche ending :) But I really like the whole prospect of Shane and Reed, and the abusive relationship of Shane and Colton made us see a bit of Reed's possible hidden badassness ;) Yeah, he's a sweetheart<strong>

**Review to make my day? I will most definitely post up the next chapter of Unwilling Asshole soonly if I get some reviews!**


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